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PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Can Andrew McCutchen beat Yadier Molina and win this year’s National League Most Valuable Player award? SB Nation MLB editor Rob Neyer thinks so, and he tells Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan’s Vinnie and Cook why.

“I think he’s having a better season [than Molina],” Neyer says. “I just think McCutchen brings more to the table than Molina. They’re close enough where you can start talking about the intangibles. You can look at what he does in the clutch. You can look at what he means to his team. I think McCutchen gets a lot of extra credit that Molina might not get.”

While Neyer thinks a Pirates player has the edge over a Cardinals player for the MVP race, he also thinks St. Louis may beat Pittsburgh in the NL Central race.

“I do believe that the Cardinals are fundamentally the best team in the division,” Neyer said. “That doesn’t mean that they run away with it. Anything can happen over the course of five weeks, but I would not be particularly surprised if the Cardinals end up winning the division by four or five games. They’ve played so well lately, but the Reds and the Pirates certainly have the firepower to keep it close.”

Neyer also weighs in on the Pirates’ trade for Marlon Byrd and John Buck, how the Pirates can cope without Starling Marte, and looks around the rest of the big leagues.